Today, I am going to take some time and review a “baby brand name” life insurance product. Now, guaranteed issue whole life is actually available from Gerber Life Insurance Company. Gerber Life is located in Fremont, MI and was founded in the year 1967. The company is especially well known for their “Grow Up Plan,” a whole life insurance product for children. We may be posting a Gerber Life Grow Up Plan review in the future. For now, we will start with our review of Gerber Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance.
As you read this post, keep in mind that we do have a business relationship with Gerber Life and will often recommend this product if it is appropriate for our clients needs. With that said…
Here we go.
Sorting Thru Your Insurance Options
Shopping for life insurance can be real darn frustrating especially if we have less than good health. Apples are not apples when doing comparisons either. Whole life insurance is not just “Whole Life Insurance.” To top it off, no one likes shopping for it, paying for it and certainly not thinking about it. With that said, it is still very important that you consider all of your options, needs and goals so you can take the best course of action for you and your loved ones.
If you are believe you are a very high risk individual and might need guaranteed whole life insurance for final expenses, you have found one of top insurers who offer it.
Now, there are quite a few different types of life insurance market, but literally hundreds of different insurers offering those products. Each one has its positives and negatives. However to compare, you must have an understanding of what you going to get from beginning to end.
Gerber Life burial insurance is a no health question and no medical exam application. Qualification is simple. To apply for coverage, you need to be between the ages of 50 and 80, have a social security number and legally able to consent to coverage.
That’s all.
You heard correct….
There are no medical questions either.
So, in other words, very little stands in the way of getting insured.
While this might sound real good, this type of whole life insurance is not for most consumers.
Whether Gerber burial insurance is the best option for you would be a discussion to have with an experienced, independent life insurance professional.
Most of our clients from 50-80 (about 90%) do not need this type of policy and receive better benefits and/or lower premiums on a different type of no exam, whole life insurance that is medically underwritten (a few health questions to apply).
With that said…
On with the review.
Gerber Life Insurance prides themselves in offering some of the lowest rates on the market for guaranteed issue life insurance. They use the terminology “budget minded” for this product.
You should feel safe applying for coverage with this carrier. Gerber is financially strong according to AM Best. Just be sure you cannot qualify for a no exam, medical question whole life policy first be having a conversation with an agent/broker who knows what they are talking about.
If you would like a free consultation to see what you qualify for, give us a call. If Gerber guaranteed issue makes the most sense and you wish to apply, it is very, very easy to be insured in minutes. We gather all of the necessary information, including contact info, your beneficiary(s) and your chosen payment method. We also share with you all the necessary disclosures. Your coverage begins once your payment is processed by the insurance company. Gerber will mail your policy once the first payment has been made. They do not mail policies immediately upon approval.
Make sure you consider all the facts and your product options as your read reviews of Gerber Life.
Gerber Life Guaranteed Issue Product Highlights
Yes, most of you know that Gerber is a baby foods company. Did you know they got into “baby business” in 1928? Important to note is that Gerber Life Insurance Company is actually a separate but associated affiliate of the Gerber Products Company. Gerber Life is a reputable, financially sound insurance company.
Under the Gerber Guaranteed Issue Life option, any adult 50-80 shall have no health questions and no medical exams. Simply put, your acceptance is guaranteed provided you can pay the monthly premium. These types of policies have been popularized with the phrase, “Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance” which is nothing more than a guaranteed issue life insurance policy.
The policy offers coverage amounts from a minimum of $5000 all the way up to $25,000. Now, how can they do that? Couldn’t someone on their deathbed take advantage of that? Well…yes and no. Like any and all “Guaranteed Acceptance” life insurance, Gerber Life’s guarantee is based on a limited death benefit clause inserted into the policy.
What does that mean?
If, during the first two years that the policy is in force and natural death occurs, any and all premiums are paid back to the beneficiary with an additional 10% interest. So, initially if the insured individual should pass away due to a natural cause, the policy beneficiary will not receive the full death benefit, just the premiums and compounded interest paid up to that point. However, for accidental death causes, the full death benefit will be paid to the beneficiary from day 1 of coverage.
After two years of ownership the limited benefit clause expires. At that point, the policy will pay the full death benefit claim to the beneficiary(s).
Limited benefit clauses are a key point about guaranteed issue life insurance…
Do not overlook this folks!! This is the only way a life insurance company can offer burial insurance to very ill or other high risk individuals.
Without exception, waiting at least 2 years for full coverage is the nature of all “guaranteed issue life insurance” or “guaranteed acceptance life insurance” and not just Gerber Life. Companies would be at a complete financial loss otherwise. You can take a look at our review of Colonial Penn’s Guaranteed Acceptance Life Insurance. That particular review includes their well known “$9.95” guaranteed acceptance life insurance product. Gerber guaranteed issue rates are superior as are the death benefits.
For any of the Gerber life insurance reviews site you have visited…
Have you been comparing “apples to apples?”
This is extremely important.
Make sure you are reading specifically about guaranteed issue or guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance products.
Gerber has alternate products such as the “Gerber Grow Up Plan” which is also based on whole life insurance, but made specifically for children/grandchildren and priced quite differently.
Gerber Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance Rates
Something to take note of here… premiums are guaranteed for life. The death benefit (coverage amount) will never go down. Remember, life insurance is contingent on you keeping up on your premium payments. Yes, you can pay annually for a small discount but we won’t discuss that here. Here are 4 common Gerber quotes to get you in the ballpark. These quotes are current as of the updating of this article in January 2024 and may be different at a later date. This is for illustration only.
If your age or coverage amount is higher or lower than shown in these examples the premium will vary up or down from there. You may use the instant quoting tool on this page to get an exact quote. Select “Poor Health” under “Health Class” to acquire the up to date rates for guaranteed issue life insurance at your current age.
Coverage Amount $10,000
| Age | Male | Female |
| 50 | $44.09 | $34.47 |
| 60 | $63.89 | $51.06 |
| 70 | $99.18 | $75.53 |
| 80 | $247.92 | $176.37 |
Coverage Amount $15,000
| Age | Male | Female |
| 50 | $65.68 | $51.24 |
| 60 | $84.52 | $69.25 |
| 70 | $131.40 | $102.67 |
| 80 | $330.92 | $227.79 |
Coverage Amount $20,000
| Age | Male | Female |
| 50 | $75.90 | $55.37 |
| 60 | $112.38 | $92.03 |
| 70 | $174.90 | $136.58 |
| 80 | $440.92 | $303.42 |
Coverage Amount $25,000
| Age | Male | Female |
| 50 | $94.65 | $68.98 |
| 60 | $140.25 | $114.81 |
| 70 | $218.40 | $170.50 |
| 80 | $550.92 | $379.04 |
Yes, you can also apply inside the tool if you so choose, but we recommend a phone call with us first to see if you can qualify for 1st day, full coverage life insurance first. Do not assume you cannot be approved because you have rocky health. About 90% of seniors qualify for better benefits and lower premiums then offered by a guaranteed issue whole life insurance policy.
There will never be a better time to take action. None of us are going to be younger a month from now. You may have seen how these rates skyrocket as you age. Lock your life insurance rates in now.
Like any other whole life policy, premiums never increase on this Gerber guaranteed life insurance once the policy has been purchased.
For those people who are truly in very poor health by insurance standards, Gerber guaranteed Issue life insurance is an option to protect their loved ones.
So what is that policy typically used for? Most often final expenses, sometimes also called a burial insurance policy. Typically, a full funeral will run about $10,000 depending upon your location. Guaranteed issue whole life policies are also used to cover final bills like, the cemetery plot, headstone, liner, medical expenses, credit cards, mortgage payments etc… so your loved ones are not financially burdened by your loss.
Making Application for Guaranteed Issue Insurance From Gerber Life
Once you have a personal quote and have decided to move forward with this guaranteed issue product, there are 3 ways in which your application can usually be processed:
- Voice Signature whereby your conversation is recorded. All information necessary information is gathered and all disclosures are read back to you.
- E-Signature whereby your application is completed over the phone and shared with you for review and your signature is completed by typing in your name. Pretty simple process. If you need help, just gives us a call. We can put you on track.
- The old fashioned paper application. Just like we did years ago. Still works. We just simply email you this application and you either fax or email it back to us once you have completed the requirements on it.
Alternatives to The Gerber Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance
As you may have read multiple Gerber life insurance reviews, it is important to note, this policy is far from the only option people 50 + have. If you have not already used the instant quoting tool on this page, take 1 minute and do so. See the cost differences among the full immediate benefit whole life and guaranteed issue. Simply select “Excellent” under the “Health Class” drop down menu. 85% of people 50-85 fall into this class. Then compare the same amount of coverage with the Gerber guaranteed issue whole life. To do so, select “Poor” under “Health Class”. From here the tool will know you want guaranteed issue rates only.
Each life insurance company “underwrites” differently. You are going to see a variety of different costs from company to company and product to product. While one or even several companies that may decline you due to a health condition, there may be others that can offer full benefits upon acceptance.
Yes, we understand that you may have been declined elsewhere and/or don’t like talking about less than perfect health. Gerber’s policy is very competitively priced in relation to the competition. In its class, we feel Gerber offers a great product for those who need high risk whole life insurance.
Guaranteed acceptance life insurance from any insurance company will always add in a minimum 2 year waiting period for full coverage. This is the trade off for “no health questions.”
Why?
The insurance company is taking a high risk with the unknown. The typical policy owner of this type of coverage is living with at least one very serious health condition such as CHF or active, internal cancer. Gerber Life must offset their high risk buy increasing premiums and adding the 2 year limited benefit period for natural death.
Moral of the story…
Don’t believe because you have been diagnosed with a preexisting medical condition that you need guaranteed life insurance. That is simply not true. Be open minded and look carefully at medically underwritten life insurance first. At Special Risk Life, we sort that all out for you.
No intent to discourage you with the purchase of a life insurance policy, but there are some drawbacks to keep in mind before purchasing guaranteed acceptance whole life insurance.
Since we do have a business relationship with Gerber, we do place a lot of our guaranteed life insurance cases with them. However, our first intention is to help you get the best life insurance policy for your needs and budget. This will be easier on your pocketbook and better for your loved ones.
Many of our clients have been pleasantly surprised to find affordable life insurance coverage thru our office they did not think they could qualify for.
Gerber Burial Insurance Requires Additional Due Diligence
Do you know how much life insurance you really need? Have you done a needs analysis that lays out how much life insurance your family would need to cover your final expenses? Did you consider leaving an legacy monies to help your loved ones move on without you?
So how do I go about figuring out my needs? Start by figuring out outstanding expenses that will have to be paid off/paid for when you pass. What amount is needed to cover any remaining mortgage, loans (personal and/or business etc.), credit cards etc. Your family would be stuck with these. Would you need money for a funeral and burial or just a cremation?
Having enough life insurance so that your family can continue to move on comfortably is of course the goal, budget depending. Would your loved ones need to hire help? Think about the reality of the changes your family will likely experience.
Remember, Gerber Life allows coverage as high as $25,000 with this policy. While that works for final expense and/or burial costs most of the time, it may not be the full solution if your needs are in excess of $25K. If you need more coverage, you would then take out a second policy with another carrier who offers the same, guaranteed issue whole life product.
Your independent life insurance agent or broker should help you complete this before you purchase any Gerber burial insurance.
The Gerber Life Insurance Guaranteed Issue Conclusion
Gerber Life has a very good reputation. Very few complaints against this company compared to other companies like Colonial Penn, for who also offers guaranteed issue life insurance, called the $9.95 plan.
Here is an important point, you should only buy guaranteed issue life insurance if other options don’t work out. Yes, it is easy to obtain, and Gerber has one of the easiest applications there is. However, as stated earlier, it is also not the best product for most people 50-80, 90% of the time.
Most people can easily qualify for a simplified issue whole life policy which costs a lot less… just for answering some basic health questions. Simplified Issue is also designed for people with less than perfect health such as senior citizens. It offers full, immediate benefits for natural death. Yes, it is a better type of whole life insurance.
We work with people with health conditions on a regular basis. We do know of what we speak. Let us help you determine what your best options really are. If you need Gerber guaranteed life insurance after consultation, we can highly recommend the product. Among guaranteed acceptance life insurance offerings, Gerber burial insurance earns an “A” from Special Risk Life.
A piece of additional advice…
If you are age 80+ and have very poor health, we strongly recommend looking at a prepaid burial plan if you cannot qualify for less costly simplified issue whole life policy. As you can see from the Gerber Life review quotes above, it does get expensive as a senior who has reached those years. In our opinion, simplified issue whole life for seniors is the way to go for burial insurance.
Reading Gerber Life reviews has been a good way for you to get started. However, the key is to work with a expert like Special Risk Life to get your best options in front of you and get the job done right. We have access to all the top life insurance companies including Gerber. Gerber guaranteed issue may not be the best policy for you.
If you are overloaded here and want to see what you really qualify for…give us a call.
We would be glad to answer any and all of your questions to your satisfaction. It is our goal to help you get the best rates and coverage possible. Take the next step and ensure your family will never be left in a financial crater. Phone: 269-230-3464.
Michael is a licensed and veteran independent life and health insurance agent who specializes in guiding people with even high risk conditions thru the insurance process. He is passionate about helping individuals and families get their unique financial protection needs met, providing his experienced based advise and delivering affordable and dependable coverage people and families can count on.
